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Eating carrots "makes little difference" to eyesight

Although many people are of the belief that eating plenty of carrots is good for your vision, this is not strictly true, according to one expert who has debunked this common myth.

Harrison Weisinger, foundation director of optometry studies at Deakin University, told the Convention that vitamin A is definitely important for healthy eyes, with carrots being a rich and natural source of this vitamin.

However, a diet "overloaded" with carrots and vitamin A will not leave people with healthier eyes, as our diets generally contain enough vitamin A and we are able to store it, unlike other nutrients.

This means that excess consumption has no effect, and can even be dangerous in pregnant women because over 10,000 IU a day can lead to complications.

"But vitamin A-rich foods are safe, so you can still munch on a bag of carrots without doing any harm [provided you don"t mind your skin turning orange from the carotenes!," Mr Weisinger explained.